Halloween Animatronics That Will Give You the Creeps

Looking to make your yard a little more…animated? These next-level decorations are right up your alley if you want to be THAT house this Halloween. You know, the one everyone’s talking about. The one the kids are almost too scared to visit. Experience the scariest things to go bump in the night as we present our favorite new animatronics of 2018.

Most Likely to Scare Trick ‘r Treaters

This animatronic, affectionately named Jumping Jenny, swings her rope and sings a super creepy song when you activate her motion sensor. Our favorite part about Jenny is that at three feet tall, she’s the same height as some of the younger kids out on Halloween night. We don’t suspect they’ll want to get close enough for a turn with her jump rope.

Most Disturbing

Okay, picture this Slim Man animatronic looming over everyone at eight feet tall, its unnaturally long arms swaying and its creepy whispering sounds in full effect. Now picture it back-lit with a strobe light in your front yard, tucked just behind some trees or bushes. First response from trick ‘r treaters? If it isn’t running in the opposite direction, it’s because they’re too freaked out to move.

Best Twist on Tradition

Everyone recognizes this time-honored Halloween character, which is exactly why this one will catch them off guard. When kids reach for the candy in this wicked witch’s bowl, the motion sensor starts the scare. Her eyes glow bright green, she leaps suddenly to her feet, and the sound of a menacing cackle and thunder fills the air. We love that this animatronic gives a nod to Halloweens of yesterday while cranking up the creep factor using new technology.

Most Likely to Cause Nightmares

Ugh, can we skip this one? It’s so creepy we don’t even want to talk about it. The toys pop up to deliver a message: “Just crawl inside, quick! They won’t get you if you hide in here!” Uhh…who won’t get us? We’ll be thinking about this one long after we close our eyes tonight.

Most Likely to Earn a Jump Scare

Even if you don’t consider yourself arachnophobic, the sheer size of this spider is enough to give even the bravest the heebie-jeebies. When people pass by, the spider lunges forward—a lot faster than you probably expected. This animatronic makes the list because it will elicit surprised screams all night long.

Most Likely to Ruin a Playdate

Make sure not to leave this up past Halloween if you plan to have kids over to visit. Between the glowing red eyes and her unique rendition of “Ring Around the Rosie,” this animatronic might haunt the dreams of little ones (or scaredy-cat adults). Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

Most OMG

You may want to take a moment to prepare yourself for this one. While it may start out looking like a sweet teddy bear, it ends up being total nightmare fuel. Set this up in a scene with other toys, or leave him out for Halloween party guests to play with. But don’t warn them…it’s better that way. ;) We can’t seem to get the image of this faceless bear out of our minds!

Best Audio Track

If you’re considering a cemetery theme for your front yard, this animatronic is a can’t-miss. His audio track was our favorite of all the animatronics we tested: the gravely voice is creepy, the dialogue is good, and the track is long enough that a passerby can listen all the way up to the porch without repeats. All you need to add are some simple tombstone props behind him to fill out your graveyard, and your scene is ready to scare.

Most Likely to Freak out Your Neighbors

Position this animatronic somewhere dim and wait for the neighbors to notice him. The real Michael Myers hunts his victims in silence, so all you’ll hear from this animatronic are some truly distressing breathing sounds. On second thought, maybe warn your neighbors. We don’t want you hearing from the HOA.

Most Likely to Give you a new Phobia

Hospitals already give people the creeps, so this nurse is absolutely overkill in the scare department. What happened to her face? Demon possession, alien bug attack? Well…we know it’s nothing good, and we’re not getting close enough to find out. Any volunteers? Don’t worry, we can wait.